I need Brooder Ideas!!

I used a cardboard box from a big deep freezer as a brooder. It came with a hard plastic lining in the bottom, so I duct taped that to the cardboard on all sides. Then I used clear plastic sheeting over the flooring and up the walls a few inches, duct taped on all sides, so as to keep moisture in the litter and not soak the cardboard.

I have it up on a table so that I can reach in on their same level. I find that reaching in from above creates terrified chicks/chickens. I cut holes in the side of the box and used plastic clamps to attach deer netting over the holes so I can see them and reach in.

I set the food and water up on wood planks to get it out of the pine shavings because they kick a lot.

When they got to about 2 weeks, I expanded by adding a large dog crate next to the cardboard box. I just duct taped them together. The dog crate has cardboard walls to help keep pine in (pine is still EVERYWHERE!)

I use a Brinsea Ecoglow 50 chick brooder for heat; the red lights are just for light not for heat.

 

I suggest if you have electricity outside you give a lot of thought to building your brooder in the coop or at least another outbuilding. I’d probably not still be married if I tried to brood chicks in the house due to the dust, noise, and potential smell. Some people are allergic to the chickens’ dander.

What you need in a brooder is to be able to feed and water them, provide protection from predators and the elements, and keep one area warm. Make it bigger than you think you need it also. Draft protection is pretty important. Wind is an element to protect them from.

I find it much easier to heat one area and let the rest cool off quite a bit. A broody hen does not heat the entire universe for her chicks. She provides a warm place for them to go when they need to warm up. Think along those lines. I find that the chicks normally stay pretty close to the heat source the first two or three days, but normally they are soon playing all over that brooder. By only heating one area, you don’t have to worry about keeping the entire brooder one perfect temperature. Keep one area warm enough and let the rest cool off so they can find their own comfort zone. Too much heat can be just as dangerous as not enough. Give them room to get away from the heat source if they need to. They'll feather out faster that way too.

I built this 3’ x 6’ brooder in the coop. The chicks go in here straight out of the incubator. They grow up next to the adults which makes integration easier. The top serves as my droppings board.

 

I have been brooding in the house, 4 batches now. The first thing I will be doing this spring is to incorporate the brooder into the coop. To much dust and noise for the house.

 

I saw an excellent brooder made from a repurposed dresser.. Ive seen them made from various cabinets and i intend to make one the next time we have a dresser being thrown out or replaced.. What i like to do for coop ideas and thing is do an image search at google..

Http://images.google.com

Search for "chick brooder" or something more specific to your desire
You will get loads of ideas

 

Here's more brooder ideas than you'll ever need.